For those of us who feel that modern society has forgotten common courtesy, it appears that people felt the same way over a hundred years ago:
From the Davenport Democrat, February 10, 1885:
The Way to the Hitching Post
“People who are kind and generous enough to move the snow from their sidewalks, would greatly oblige their friends, their grocer, and their physician, if they would do a little more; by removing the snow from around their hitching posts, so that a horse can be driven up to a post and tied, without having to wade waist-deep in the snow. Not one in a hundred who pretends to clean his sidewalk does this, but piles the snow along the edge of the walk, and there leaves it in a continuous pile from three to five feet deep, and expects whoever calls, from necessity or otherwise, to break their own road through this formidable barrior. Common sense should teach any one the necessity of little more care in this direction. One half of the hitching posts, as well as sidewalks, are entirely inaccessible from the street on account of the banks of snow thus made.”
It almost makes us wish we had hitching posts simply so we could maintain them properly! We’ll just have to make do with our bike racks . . .
But if you still have a hitching post in use, please remove the snow from around it. It truly is a kindness (and please send us a photo too)!
(posted by Amy D.)
